Marraccas rattling device



July 5, 1949. G. A. BOYKINS 2,475,542

' MARRACCAS RATTLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1946 IN VENTOR.

July 5, 1949. G. A. BOYKINS 2,475,542

MARRACCAS RATTLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1946 6.50 196? 0 Y/f/A/J E I Vl,

. HTNRNIYI INVENTOR.

Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,475,542 MARRACCAS RATTLING DEVICE George Ashley Boykin's, Bronx; N. Y.

Application July 22, 1946, Serial No. 685,298

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to a marraccas rattling device.

It is an object of this invention to provide a marraccas rattling device whereby the marraccas may be rattled by the foot of a drummer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rattling device which may be rhythmically operated by the foot of a drummer whereby his hands may be left free to use the drumsticks or to use other instruments or devices associated with a drummers paraphernalia.

Another object of this invention is to provide a marraccas rattling device which is extremely simple in construction and operation, thereby precluding the possibility of mechanical failures and providing a highly eflicient device which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed by the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the marraccas rattling device,

Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly broken away,

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional View, partly broken away, through the device and its attaching means.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates generally a rattling device constructed according to an embodiment of my invention. This device is intended to be used primarily by drummers so that this instrument may be actuated by the drummers foot in time with the music in much the same manner as a bass drum beater, so that the drummers hands may be free to use other instruments or devices at the same time, as it frequently happens that the drummers score requires the use of certain instruments simultaneously. Heretofore, on such occasions, another member of the orchestra has been called upon to assist the drummer, and this device will enable the drummer to use these instruments and not require the use of an assisting member for certain renditions.

The marraccas rattling device comprises an elongated fiat base H or floorboard for substantially supporting the device l0. An L-shaped supporting arm I! is fixed to one end of the base II by bolts H or other suitable attaching means and extends upwardly from the base II. The arm I2 is formed with a bifurcated upper end providing a pair of upwardly extending arms I5 having aligned transverse bearings 16 at their upper ends. A bolt or axle H is carried loosely in the bearings l6 and extends outwardly from the outer side of one of the bearings Hi. The axle I1 is adapted to be rotated in the bearings l6 and a crank I8 is provided on the bolt I! to which a series of levers is attached for rocking the bolt I! in the bearings IS. The crank l8 comprises a disc l9 fixed on the shaft l'l between the bearing l6 and arms I5, and a lever or arm 2|] secured to the disc l9 and extending radially therefrom. The arm 20 may be fixed to the disc 19 by engaging in a radial slot 2! in the disc 19, or by other suitable attaching means.

A connecting link or lever 22 is pivotally connected at one end to the outer end of the lever 20 and is adapted to extend downwardly therefrom. The link 22 is attached to one end of a, pedal 24, the other end of which is hingedly connected to the rear end of the base II by a hinge 25. A hook 2t, fixed on the front end of the pedal engages in an opening in the lower end of the link 22. The link 22 may be made of a fiat strip of metal twisted ninety degrees intermediate its length as shown at 21 in Figure 1. A coil 28 is fixed between the pedal 24 and base H adjacent the hinge 25 and constantly urges the pedal 24 upwardly to a raised position and the crank It) to an upwardly inclined position from the shaft I1.

Fixed on the shaft l1 outwardly of the bearings l6 and arms I! there is a disc 29 for supporting a pair of marraccas 3D.

A pair of oppositely extending outwardly inclined supporting arms 3| are fixed to the disc 29 by bolts 32 and extend radially therefrom. The marraccas 30 are each secured in a cup 34 by glueing or other suitable attaching means, and the cup 34 is provided with a rearwardly extending rod 35 which is attached to the arms 3| by U-bolts 36 which engage about the rod 35 and through the arm 3|.

In the use of this marraccas rattling device H], as the pedal M is depressed, the link 22 rocks the shaft I! in the bearing I6 and the disc 29 to which the marraccas 30 are attached. The marraccas 30 are rattled in their rotation and as the pedal 24 is fully depressed, the crank 18 has not reached a dead center position relative to the link 22 so when the pedal is permitted to be raised again by the spring- 28 and the marraccas rattled again on their rotation back to the starting position.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A marraccas rattling device comprising a base, a spring-pressed pedal rockably carried by said base, an upright standard fixed to said base and having a bifurcated upper end, a pair Of spaced bearings carried by said upper end, a shaft journaled through said bearings, crank means fixed to said shaft between said bearings, a link connected between said pedal and said crank means, a plate fixed to one end of said shaft, a pair of oppositely disposed angular elongated bars fixed 15 4 to and extending radially from said plate, a cup shaped member having a shank thereon removably secured to each of said elongated bars, and a marracca secured in each of said cup shaped members.

GEORGE ASHLEY BOYKINS.

10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,479,376 Danly Jan. 1, 1924 1,909,761 Greenleaf May 16, 1933 

